The Forbidden Eclipse Queen Claimed By Two Alphas

CHAPTER ONE

LUCIAN POV

The bass vibrated through the floorboards, but I felt empty inside. Hundreds of people packed into the mansion, all screaming my name and begging for my attention.

I was Lucian Blackthorne. I was the Alpha Prince, the hockey captain, and the heir to a kingdom I hated. Everyone in this room feared me or wanted to use me, but none of them actually mattered to me.

I held a red cup in my hand and drank until my throat burned. I needed the alcohol to numb my mind. My father had spent the past seven days yelling at me.

He threatened to pull me out of school and lock me in the royal castle. The council members were watching my every move like hawks, waiting for me to fail. On top of that, the strange curse carved into my ribs burned like hot fire. Every time the moon grew full, the black skin pulsed with agonizing pain.

I shook my head and pushed the thoughts away. I did not want to think about my father, my duties, or the curse.

I pushed through the crowd, laughing loud enough to trick everyone into thinking I was fine. I grabbed a pretty blonde girl by her waist and pulled her close. She smiled up at me with shiny eyes.

"You came," she whispered, wrapping her soft arms around my neck. "I thought you were going to ignore me tonight, Lucian."

"I never forget a pretty face, Sarah," I lied, leaning down to kiss her jawline.

She sighed and leaned her head against my chest. "You are so sweet. Maybe we can get out of here later? Just the two of us? I really care about you."

Her words made my skin crawl. The moment she showed real feelings, I felt disgusted. I pulled her hands off my shoulders and stepped back.

"That was a mistake," I said cold and fast. "Do not get attached, Sarah. You know how this works."

Her face fell, then tears filled her eyes, but I turned my back on her before she could speak.

My teammate Marcus clapped my shoulder and laughed hard. "You are cold, man. Absolutely heartless!"

"She knew the rules," I snapped, tossing my cup onto a table. I lived by one strict law. I never let anyone get close to my heart. If you care about someone, they can destroy you.

The front door opened, and the loud noise of the party suddenly softened. People parted like the sea as Damian Cross walked into the grand foyer.

I respected very few people in this world, but Damian was my brother in every way that counted.

He was everything I was not. I was wild and cruel, but Damian was disciplined and calm. I brought shame to my family name, while Damian made his parents proud every single day. Still, he was the only guy who had my back when things went wrong.

Damian walked in, and I noticed Elena Whitmore standing right next to him.

I had seen her around Blackridge High before. She was always in the background, lingering near Damian like a quiet shadow. She never wore revealing clothes. She never competed with the other girls for my attention. She never even looked at me or my royal family. She was completely invisible, and I had never given her a second thought.

Until tonight.

I turned my eyes toward the middle of the dance floor.

Elena stood under the flashing purple lights. She was just adjusting her jacket, but suddenly, the air in my lungs disappeared.

Everything inside my chest stopped beating.

The screaming crowd went silent in my ears. The loud music vanished.

A powerful scent hit my nose like a physical punch. It smelled like fresh rain, dark vanilla, and pine needles. My inner wolf woke up instantly. It roared inside my head and slammed hard against my ribs, desperate to break free.

'Mate,' my wolf screamed into my mind. 'She is our mate!'

I staggered back a step and hit a wooden pillar. My breath came out in short, terrified gasps. The black curse scar across my ribs ignited into blinding heat. It felt like someone was holding a hot iron against my bare skin.

"No," I whispered to myself, pressing a hand against my chest. "No, this is wrong."

I tried to fight the feeling. I tried to tell myself my wolf was confused. But then Elena turned her head.

Her eyes locked onto mine across the dark room.

The moment our gazes met, my wolf went completely wild.

A wave of possessive hunger crashed through my blood. I had never wanted a woman like this. I had never felt this desperate, terrified, or weak in my entire life. My feet moved forward before I could stop them. I took one heavy step toward her, then another.

"Lucian?" a voice called out.

I froze. Damian stepped into the space between us. He stopped walking and instantly, his body went rigid.

I watched Damian’s face change. His jaw went slack, and his pupils dilated until his eyes were almost completely black. I felt the air shift around him. His inner wolf had just woken up too.

Damian looked down at Elena. Then, slowly, he turned his head and looked at me.

We did not say a single word. We did not need to. The truth hung between us, heavy and terrifying.

Elena was his mate and she was my mate too.

My entire world shattered into a thousand pieces. The only girl who had ever managed to pierce my heart belonged to my best friend. She belonged to both of us.

Before I could say anything, a sharp sound echoed through the entire mansion.

BANG!

Every single lightbulb in the house exploded at once. Sparks flew through the dark, and glass rained down on the screaming crowd.

Before anyone could run, a massive wave of dark energy slammed down from the ceiling. It felt like a mountain crushed my shoulders. Every wolf, vampire, and witch in the room dropped instantly to their knees.

My legs buckled and I slammed onto the hard floor, my hands pressed against the wood. My proud wolf bowed down against my will. I gritted my teeth and growled, hating the weakness in my veins.

Outside the tall windows, the bright white moon suddenly turned blood red. Darkness swallowed the sky as a total eclipse took over.

This was wrong. The ancient prophecy said the eclipse was three days away.

I forced my head up and looked through the dark at Elena. She was down on her knees too, holding her right arm. A bright pink glow burned through her sleeve.

My ribcage screamed in agony. I ripped my shirt open and gasped. The black curse mark was shifting. A glowing symbol burned itself into my flesh, matching the light on Elena's wrist.

Then, a second symbol appeared right under it. It was an ancient royal crown surrounded by sharp thorns.

Fear cold as ice filled my stomach. This was not a normal mate bond. An ancient, dangerous magic had just woken up inside our blood.

Suddenly, my vision went black and a terrifying image flashed inside my head.

I saw a woman standing under a bloody red moon. She had long dark hair and piercing eyes. She looked exactly like Elena. But her face was cold and cruel, she held a massive silver sword in her hand, and royal red blood dripped from the sharp blade.

The woman in the vision turned her head and looked straight at me. A slow, chilling smile spread across her lips.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I looked closer at her neck. She was wearing a heavy gold necklace with a cracked blue stone.

It was the exact same necklace my mother had worn the night she was murdered.